Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S. (2024)

Retirement saving tips in your 20s and 30s

Americans looking to stretch their retirement savings may want to head to states in the South or the Midwest, a recent analysis suggests.

Around the U.S., a $1 million nest egg can cover an average of 18.9 years worth of living expenses, GoBankingRates found. But where you retire can have a profound impact on how far your money goes, ranging from as a little as 10 years in Hawaii to more than than 20 years in more than a dozen states.

Tapping government data, the personal finance site estimated the number of years retirees aged 65 or older could live off $1 million in savings based on the cost of housing, transportation, utilities, health care and groceries in each of the 50 U.S. states.

The key finding: Retirees can get the biggest bang for their buck in Mississippi, where the combined cost of food, utilities, housing, health care and other essentials is $44,000 per year. Saving of $1 million in the state would last you nearly 23 years, the personal finance site said.

By contrast, retirees in Hawaii — where the annual living costs are roughly $97,000, or more than double those of retirees in Mississippi — will burn through $ 1 million in just over 10 years, according to GoBankingRates.

It's worth noting that most Americans are nowhere near having that much money socked away. According to data from financial services firm Credit Karma, Baby boomers have median retirement savings of $120,000, while nearly 30% of people aged 59 or older have saved nothing for their golden years.

That's despite the fact that many retirements now last more than 25 years, according to financial services firm Fidelity. Those meager savings also fall well below the $1.8 million in savings Americans say they need to live out their golden years comfortably, according to a recent Charles Schwab poll.

Elizabeth Napolitano

Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S. (2)

Elizabeth Napolitano is a freelance reporter at CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and technology news. She also writes for CoinDesk. Before joining CBS, she interned at NBC News' BizTech Unit and worked on The Associated Press' web scraping team.

Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S. (2024)

FAQs

Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S.? ›

Americans looking to stretch their retirement savings may want to head to states in the South or the Midwest, a recent analysis suggests. Around the U.S., a $1 million nest egg can cover an average of 18.9 years worth of living expenses, GoBankingRates found.

What percentage of Americans retire with $1 million dollars? ›

Putting that much aside could make it easier to live your preferred lifestyle when you retire, without having to worry about running short of money. However, not a huge percentage of retirees end up having that much money. In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings.

How long will $1.5 million last in retirement? ›

A $1.5 million portfolio consisting entirely of bonds meant to keep pace with inflation can reasonably be expected to last 25 years. While you'll need to progressively take out more from your portfolio to have the same buying power, your portfolio should keep up with or even beat the inflation rate.

How long can $1 million dollars last in California? ›

How Long Will $1 Million In Retirement Savings Last In Your State? A 65-year-old retiree living in California can expect $1 million in savings to last under 14 years, while that amount will last almost 21 years in Texas.

What percentage of retirees have $4 million dollars? ›

According to a 2020 working paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, the top 1% of retirees—which a retiree with $4 million in assets would fall into—can expect to pay about 22.7% in state and federal taxes.

How many US citizens have $100 million dollars? ›

5.3 million millionaires with a net worth of at least $1 million. 9,630 centi-millionaires with a net worth of at least $100 million. 770 billionaires with a net worth of at least $1 billion.

Can you live off interest of $1 million dollars? ›

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

How long will 1 million last in retirement with Social Security? ›

Around the U.S., a $1 million nest egg can cover an average of 18.9 years worth of living expenses, GoBankingRates found. But where you retire can have a profound impact on how far your money goes, ranging from as a little as 10 years in Hawaii to more than than 20 years in more than a dozen states.

What is the average Social Security check? ›

Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of December 2023, the average check is $1,767.03, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient. In fact, retirees typically make more than the overall average.

At what age should you have $1 million in retirement? ›

Based on this, if you retire at age 65 and live until you turn 84, $1 million will probably be enough retirement savings for you. However, it's important to remember there is no one-size-fits-all amount.

Can you keep millions of dollars in the bank? ›

The standard insurance amount provided for FDIC-insured accounts is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category, in the event of a bank failure.

Can a couple retire on $1 million dollars? ›

Yes, it is possible to retire with $1 million. Retiring at the age of 65 with $1 million can seem like a lot of money to a lot of retirees. But the truth is, that amount depends entirely on your household, your finances and your needs.

What is the best state to retire in 2024? ›

A: The best state to retire in 2024 is sunny Florida, according to WalletHub, thanks to its relative affordability and high quality of life for seniors. That's followed by Colorado, Virginia, and Delaware.

How many Americans retire with $1000000? ›

If you have more than $1 million saved in retirement accounts, you are in the top 3% of retirees. According to EBRI estimates based on the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts, while just 0.1% have $5 million or more.

What is considered wealthy in retirement? ›

To be considered wealthy at age 65 or older, you need a household net worth of $3.2 million, according to finance expert Geoffrey Schmidt, CPA, who used data from the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to determine the household net worth needed at age 65 or older to determine the various percentiles of wealth in ...

How much money do most people retire with? ›

The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940, according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.

What percentage of US has net worth over 1 million? ›

Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million. Therefore, about 2% of the population possesses enough wealth to meet the current definition of being rich.

How much money does the average American retire with? ›

The answer depends almost entirely on you, your habits now and your plans for later,” the financial services firm noted on its website. Data from the Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Consumer Finances (2022) indicates the median retirement savings account balance for all U.S. families stands at $87,000.

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